성경 주석서

And you

Taking up the closing thought of the preceding chapter, the magnitude of God's power toward believers as exhibited in Christ's resurrection. He now shows that the same power is applied to his readers. Hence the connection is: "When He raised Him from the dead, etc., and you did He quicken, even as He quickened Christ." The structure of the passage is broken. Paul having prominently in mind the thought God quickened you as He did Christ, begins with you also. Then the connection is interrupted by Ephesians 2:2, Ephesians 2:3, which describe their previous condition. Then Ephesians 2:1 is taken up in Ephesians 2:4, by but God, God introducing a new sentence.

Who were dead (ὄντας νεκροὺς)

Better, Rev., when ye were dead, thus giving the sense of the continued state in the past expressed by the participle being.

Trespasses - sins (παραπτώμασιν - ἁμαρτίαις)

See on Matthew 1:21; see on Matthew 6:14. Trespasses, special acts. Sins, all forms and phases of sin: more general.

Course (αἰῶνα)

Lit., age. See on John 1:9.

Power (ἐξουσίας)

Collective, the whole empire of evil spirits.

The air

According to Paul's usage, in the simple physical sense. See Acts 22:23; 1 Corinthians 9:26; 1 Thessalonians 4:17; Revelation 16:17. The air is regarded as the region of the demons' might.

The spirit

See on 1 Corinthians 2:12. The term designates the power over which Satan rules, on the side of its operation in men's hearts.

Now

With an implied reference to its former working in his readers. Compare once, Ephesians 2:3

Children of disobedience (υἱοῖς τῆς ἀπειθείας)

Compare Ephesians 5:6. A Hebraistic expression. Compare son of perdition, John 17:12; children of obedience, 1 Peter 1:14; children of cursing, 2 Peter 2:14. Rev., correctly, sons of disobedience: belonging to disobedience as sons to a parent.

Had our conversation (ἀνεστράφημεν)

See on the kindred noun conversation, 1 Peter 1:15. Rev., more simply, lived.

Fulfilling (ποιοῦντες)

Rev., doing. The verb implies carrying out or accomplishing, so that the A.V. is more nearly correct. See on Romans 7:15; see on John 3:21.

Desires (θελήματα)

Lit., willings. See on Colossians 3:12.

Mind (διανοιῶν)

More strictly, thoughts. See on Mark 12:30; see on Luke 1:51.

By nature children of wrath

See on Ephesians 2:2. Children (τέκνα) emphasizes the connection by birth; see on John 1:12. Wrath (ὀργῆς) is God's holy hatred of sin; His essential, necessary antagonism to everything evil, Romans 1:18. By nature (φύσει) accords with children, implying what; is innate. That man is born with a sinful nature, and that God and sin are essentially antagonistic, are conceded on all hands: but that unconscious human beings come into the world under the blaze of God's indignation, hardly consists with Christ's assertion that to little children belongs the kingdom of heaven. It is true that there is a birth-principle of evil, which, if suffered to develop, will bring upon itself the wrath of God. Whether Paul means more than this I do not know.

Others (οἱ λοιποί)

Rev., correctly, the rest.

But God

Resuming Ephesians 2:1.

For His great love (διά)

For the sake of, in order to satisfy His love.

Quickened us together

Spiritually. Compare Colossians 2:13; Romans 6:11-14; Romans 8:10, Romans 8:11 "What God wrought in Christ He wrought, ipso facto, in all who are united with Him" (Ellicott).

Raised us up

Compare Romans 6:5.

Made us sit together (συνεκάθισεν)

Compare set Him, Ephesians 1:20. Together is ambiguous. Render with Him, as Rev. "Even now we sit there in Him, and shall sit with Him in the end" (Andrews, cited by Ellicott). Compare Romans 8:30; Revelation 3:21. Meyer renders hath given us joint seat.

In Christ Jesus

Connect with raised up, made us sit, and in heavenly places. Resurrection, enthronement, heaven, all are in Christ.

The ages to come (τοῖς αἰῶσιν τοῖς ἐπερχομένοις)

Lit., the ages, those which are coming on. Which are successively arriving until Christ's second coming.

He might show (ἐνδείξηται)

The middle voice denotes for His own glory. See on Colossians 1:6.

In kindness (ἐν χρηστότητι)

See on easy, Matthew 11:30. The grace of God is to be displayed in His actual benefits.

For by grace, etc.

This may truly be called exceeding riches of grace, for ye are saved by grace. Grace has the article, the grace of God, in Ephesians 2:5, Ephesians 2:7.

And that

Not faith, but the salvation.

Of God

Emphatic. Of God is it the gift.

For we are His workmanship

A reason why no man should glory. If we are God's workmanship, our salvation cannot be of ourselves. His is emphatic. His workmanship are we.

Created (κτισθέντες)

See on John 1:3. The verb originally means to make habitable, to people. Hence to found. God is called κτίστης creator, 1 Peter 4:19, and ὁ κτίσας he that created, Romans 1:25. Compare Revelation 4:11. Κτίσις is used of the whole sum of created things, Mark 10:6; Romans 8:22.

Afore prepared (προητοίμασεν)

Rev, more correctly, prepared. Made ready beforehand. God prearranged a sphere of moral action for us to walk in. Not only are works the necessary outcome of faith, but the character and direction of the works are made ready by God.

That we should walk

In order that; to the end that.